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After weeks of speculation, Australian cricket vice-captain Michael Clarke, 28, and model Lara Bingle, 22, have finally announced the end of their engagement.

At 10.15PM on Friday, March, 12, Clarke's rep, International Quarterback, finally confirmed the besieged couple had split, issuing a statement:

"They ask the media to respect their privacy during this difficult time. No further comment will be made."

Clarke is expected to rejoin the tour of New Zealand for the test matches and Bingle is said to be staying with a friend at Avoca on the NSW Central Coast. It is not clear what will happen to their flat in Sydney's Bondi Beach.

The pair also seem to have lost their endorsement deal with Synergy energy drink. In a statement to AAP the company announced on Saturday that "due to recent events and the announcement of Michael and Lara's separation, they no longer represent Synergy's core values; that of 'forces combining to create greater healthier energy.' "

The couple launched their sexy ad campaign for the energy drink on October 12 last year.

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The confirmation of the split yesterday had seemed just a matter of course after Clarke returned suddenly from New Zealand but was not seen to be spending time with his fiancee of two years.

As split rumours hit fever pitch, sources revealed the pair were falling apart.

"There are certainly deep cracks in Michael and Lara's relationship," an insider told WHO. "They are both struggling emotionally."

The publication on March 1 of a nude photo of Bingle, allegedly taken while she was having an affair with AFL player Brendan Fevola in 2006, led to a media furore that pushed Bingle and Clarke's relationship to breaking point. "There's a possibility it could be over in days," said the source earlier this week. "They are definitely on the rocks."

Claims by Bingle that she didn't know Fevola was married at the time of their affair have been disputed by AFL star Dermott Brereton, who says he told the model on the night Bingle and Fevola met that Fevola was married.

But in the Sydney Morning Herald, Bingle's agent, Max Markson, counters, "I’ve got three words for you: It's not true."

On March 8, Clarke abandoned the New Zealand cricket tour. At the time his manager Chris White said it was to support Bingle "during this tough time," but the move infuriated many cricket fans and sports commentators.

However, friends of Clarke challenge his detractors: "He's done the right thing," says one, who describes Clarke as a "softie" to WHO. "Clearly Michael couldn't concentrate on cricket with all that shit going on."

In recent days, Bingle has been spotted without her 4.7 carat diamond engagement ring. "You could put it down to youth or inexperience," says a friend. "I don't think they know what they want."

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For all the details on what went wrong between Michael and Lara, see this week's WHO, on sale Friday, March 12.